A/N: Thank you all for your continued reviews! I am working on making a poster for this story, and it should be finished as soon as a I get a good pic of a Mon Calamari for Bant, not to mention a pic that doesn't look too much like Ani for Garen...check my bio for the link!

Solokenobi: So sorry you have to go through the same thing as the character I'm trying to work with! Thank you for continuing to read and review! I was looking at your list of favorites and noticed that you like romance and Star Wars combinations...

Alpha-331: I'm glad you thought it was good! Keep reading, it's going to get better!

Chapter 4: It's All Behind Me Now...Or is It?

Garen Muln waited at the spaceport for his passengers. He was in his mid twenties now, with shoulder-length sandy hair and sparkling blue eyes. Since he had finished his training at the Jedi Temple, he had gone on to become a pilot, transporting Jedi to various missions and assignments. He had not yet taken an apprentice. Indeed, he considered himself too immature to take a Padawan, though Master Yoda had encouraged him to do so. He sighed and checked the chronometer on the dash board of the ship. Late. Usually he was the one who was late, but not his time. He wasn't even sure who was supposed to be coming, but he was sure that whoever was coming was not there on time. He had been told that he was going to be part of a Jedi team that was being sent to Kashyyyk to settle territorial disputes between the Wookies and Trandoshans. A dangerous mission, if anyone asked him, which they weren't. Not something he would've chosen himself if he had the choice, which he didn't. In short, he was stuck.

Garen glanced at the doors where the other four Jedi were supposed to appear. They were very late. He turned his attention to something on the seat next to him and thought about his friends from his childhood at the Temple. He could still remember clearly that frightening day that Obi-Wan had come to his room to talk after he had told Bant his secret.

"He knows, Garen."

"What, did you tell him? 'Cause I didn't, and Bant didn't, you can count on that. We would never let you down, and you know it!"

"No, I didn't tell him. And I know you would never tell on me. You and Bant are great friends, I have no doubt about that."

"Then how did he find out? It's not like she told him, 'cause she didn't know, either, right?"

"No, Garen. He probed me."

"HE WHAT!"

"I know, shocking, isn't it? That he would mind probe his own apprentice? He did it because I wouldn't tell him straight out. I suppose I frustrated him, but I was worried about our relationship. I told him so, too."

"I know you were worried. I tried to tell you it might have been better if you had just told him right away."

"Yes, you did, Garen."

"So, is everything OK with you two? You and your Master, I mean."

"Yes, everything is all right. He told me he was sorry I had to go through all that alone, and he wished that I had told him sooner so he could've helped me through it all. He told me to just forget about her."

"Are you, Obi-Wan? Are you going to just forget all about her?"

"I already have, Garen. It's all behind me now. But you must still never mention this to anyone!"

"Oh, don't worry, I won't!"

Garen was jerked out of his memory by the sound of arguing. Someone was coming across the loading platform toward the ship. To be more precise, four someones. Four Jedi, and two of them were arguing as if they were still young. One was female, that much he could tell from this distance, and seemed to be the less pleased of the pair. The other was male, and looked like he was having a fine time of pestering the young woman. The other two, a Mon Calamari and a ten-year-old Padawan boy, were walking alongside and laughing at the two debaters. Garen wondered what they were doing there, then realized that they must be the rest of his Jedi team. He chuckled to himself. If I thought I was immature, I must never have seen these two, he thought.

As the bickering pair came closer, he was able to hear some of what they were saying. He noticed that the young man had a heavy accent. "And don't you ever, ever speak to me like that again!" the female warned. The young man laughed. "Like what?" he asked playfully. "Oh, you mean like this, don't you?" The dark-skinned woman was clearly exasperated. "You always act so innocent," she almost yelled. "You know, I think you had something to do with that secret admirer thing. And to think I trusted you with such information!" Garen suddenly knew who they were, though the younger Padawan's name eluded him. He could see the visible slump of the young man's shoulders as he suddenly grew very serious. "Let's not bring that up, please," he said quietly. "I already told you before, I don't want to talk about it."

The Padawan spoke next in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Gee, Master, and you're always telling me not to pick fights," he said mischievously. The older one glanced down at him. "I didn't start that one," he said defensively. It was the Mon Calamari's turn to speak. "Oh, yes you did, and you know it!" she said, smiling, her large yellow eyes glowing with happiness. She had caught the fleeting concern on the Padawan's face and agreed that it was time to lighten things up between the other two before things got too tense. They were a lighthearted group, and the looming danger of the mission ahead didn't seem to have an impact on them much.

Garen moved to the door of the ship to greet his passengers. As he came closer, the faces of the three he knew showed recognition, two of them pure delight. The fourth one had eyes only for the ship. "Oh, man, look at that ship, Master!" the boy exclaimed in excitement. He was a strange one, and Garen didn't remember ever seeing him before. But, of course, he hadn't been back to the Temple for more than a year. But still, this boy was nearly eleven. Surely he had been at the Temple before Garen left the last time? No, Garen could not recall ever having seen this boy before. He turned to the young Padawan and saw the delight in his eyes as the boy turned and looked right back at him. "Do you pilot that ship? You're so lucky! My Master says..."

He was interrupted by the older one, who appeared to also be in his mid twenties, with short dark hair and flashing blue eyes that seemed to secretly be on the lookout for some kind of mischief to cause. But he was also much older and more mature-looking than Garen remembered him. "Anakin, your manners," he reminded the young student. The boy, Anakin, seemed suddenly to remember his place and hastily bowed to Garen, then immediately returned to examining the ship's exterior. "I'm so sorry," the Master apologized for his student. "He really can be a handful. I apologize for any inconvenience." He suddenly stopped and noticed that Garen was smiling at him rather roguishly. "You're laughing at me, aren't you?" he asked.

Garen just laughed all the more. "No," he answered. "I was just thinking about how strange the concept of you with a Padawan sounds." He looked at the young man and was suddenly more serious. "It's good to see you again, Obi-Wan. You don't know how good!" Obi-Wan smiled back at him, then turned to Bant, who then proceeded to hug Garen in a friendly gesture. Garen greeted Adi Gallia, then turned back to Anakin, Obi-Wan's Padawan learner. "So, you like ships, Anakin?" he asked the eager youth. Anakin nodded vigorously. "I think you'll especially like this one," Garen told him. "How'd you like to help me out in the cockpit?"

The young student's eyes went wide with excitement. "Can I really?" he asked. Then his shoulders drooped. "My Master probably won't let me. He likes me to stay where he can see me at all times. He thinks I'll cause some kind of trouble or something."

Garen glanced over at Obi-Wan, then back at Anakin. "Oh, I think we can fix that," he said teasingly. "I think your Master will spend quite some time in the cockpit himself. You see, I'm a good friend of his, and we haven't seen much of each other in a while." Anakin seemed very much pleased by this. Garen turned back to the other three. "Well," he said, pretending to be very disappointed, "I think we ought to get moving. You guys took long enough to get here. You kept me waiting for at least an hour, maybe more." This was met by hearty laughter from all four of the old friends, and they headed up the ramp.

"You haven't completely forgotten, have you?" Garen asked. He could see the way Obi-Wan looked at her, the pain in his face as he remembered what he had gone through because of her. Obi-Wan looked up at him, confused, then he caught on to what Garen was saying. He shook his head almost sadly. His flashing eyes were dull again, like they used to get at the age of 17 whenever he was thinking about Adi. He had said it was all behind him, but it wasn't. He sat there staring at nothing. They had gone into hyperspace some time ago, and the other passengers had retired to the onboard sleeping quarters, but Obi-Wan couldn't sleep. He was on a mission with a woman he had been trying fornine years to forget. To say the least, it was very unsettling.

Garen looked at his old friend. He was beginning to get worried again, and why shouldn't he? Obi-Wan was beginning to show the exact same symptoms of emotional stress that he did nine years ago. Garen wondered if the young Jedi would be any more capable of handling it than he was the first time. He also wondered how many times he had gone through it since they had last seen each other. He sensed something and turned toward the door. Bant was standing there, looking at the two of them. She understood what was going on. Their bond was still just as strong as it had been when they were young. She came in and sat down next to Obi-Wan. Garen switched the ship to autopilot and pivoted his chair around to face them.

Bant put a fin on Obi-Wan's shoulder. "Are you going to be all right?" she asked. Obi-Wan nodded. Garen had told her about his conversation that day after Qui-Gon had probed his apprentice for the truth about his secret love. She thought once more about that day, her concern about her friend, her relief that he was finally moving past it, her suspicions that he might not be able to completely let it go. She was soon lost in a nine-year-old memory of the past.

"Bant, Qui-Gon knows. About Obi-Wan and Adi."

"How? We didn't tell him. Did Obi-Wan tell him?"

"No, he was mind probed. There was nothing he could do to hide it."

"Oh, this is all my fault!"

"No, it's not, Bant. It's nobody's fault."

"So he just gave up?"

"No, he told me he tried to block Qui-Gon, but the Master was the stronger."

"Is he hurt? Jedi Master mind probing can be painful, I hear. Is he all right?"

"He's fine, Bant. He said Qui-Gon told him to forget about her."

"That's good. At least he won't have any more stress breakdowns."

"Maybe."

"Did he, Garen? Did he forget about her?"

"He said he did. He said it's all behind him now."

"I don't think it is. Just watch, Garen Muln. We'll see his feelings for her rise once more. And when that time comes, we need to be ready. We need to be there for him so that this doesn't happen again!"

Bant thought about how right she had been that day as she gazed at her troubled friend. The hard thing was that there was no Master to go to this time, or to keep things from, as the case may have been. She felt so sorry for this young man. She felt like she ought to do something about it, something to ease his pain and distress. But there was nothing to do. He had to handle this on his own as best he could. All she could do was be there to support him if he needed her to.
Adi Gallia couldn't sleep that night. Her mind was restless, tossing and turning with her until she could no longer stand it. She was thinking about Qui-Gon, the one person she had really trusted when it came to her secret admirer. He was always so strong, so wise. Now she had the feeling that old emotions had reawakened, and this time there was nobody to go to.

She heard something near the door and turned to see what it was. A tall figure stood there, almost seeming to wonder whether to enter or not. Then it seemed to see her and nearly make up its mind to leave, but something made it stay. The figure turned its head away in embarrassment when it realized that she had seen it, the small bit of light in the corridor catching its face. It was Obi-Wan. Adi was surprised. She was used to his flashing eyes, his roguish grin, his playful, mischievous behavior. She wasn't used to seeing him like this, flustered, tense, restless, his eyes clouded and dull, his shoulders bent by some mental weight. She wondered if his pestering had come from something besides good-natured playfulness. But once again she dismissed the idea, like she had so many times before. But something tugged at her, begging her to think of it differently. She fought against it, trying to bring it down to an absolute "No."

Suppose he was your secret admirer? No, she had already ruled out that possibility. Suppose it's different than you think? But no, it couldn't be, could it? There was only one way to find out. Ask him! But he had already passed her off every time before. Maybe it was because of the company he was in. But they were his best friends. If he was her secret admirer, he would have told them, wouldn't he? But what about his apprentice. Maybe he didn't want to set a bad example. Then he really should have thought of that before. Suppose he really loves you. Then you're the one passing him off. She had never thought of it like that before. But what was she supposed to do? She didn't know for sure yet.

She looked up at the doorway again. He was still there, leaning on the doorjamb, his head bent as if in thought. She had a clear view of his face, and was startled by what she saw there. His face was twisted by some unknown pain he was experiencing. She felt truly sorry for him, and wondered what was causing him so muchtorment. There was only one way to find out, but she put it off as a long-ago conversation surfaced in her memory.

"Well, you won'tbe finding anything in front of your door anymore."

"Why not?"

"You sound disappointed, Adi."

"Oh, no, of course not! I was just wondering."

"Very well. I found your secret admirer, that's all I can say."

"Who is it?"

"You mean, 'who was it.' I won't say just yet. Perhaps some other time, when he has forgotten about these feelings. I spoke with him, and I don't think you will be bothered again."

"Yes, Qui-Gon. Thank you. I'm sorry if it was a problem."

"It was no problem at all, Adi. I was glad to help you. Now, if you will excuse me, my Padawan is not feeling well today. I must see to him."

"All right, well, goodbye, Qui-Gon."

She remembered the disappointment she had felt at the prospect of not getting anything else from her secret admirer. She had to admit she had enjoyed it while it lasted. Those feelings of regret were resurfacing, and she had the impression that Obi-Wan knew something about her childhood secret admirer. She had just made up her mind to ask him when she looked up and noticed that he had left. She was too late. Once again she had to put it off to eat her up inside, gnawing at her until she went out of her mind. She lay back down as exhaustion took hold of her. She was soon fast asleep.
A/N: Hope you all like this one! It's really going to get interesting!